Chopin - Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor "Revolutionary"Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor known as The Revolutionary Étude, is a solo piano work by Frédéric Chopin written circa 1831. It is the 12th of his first set of etudes - "Douze Grandes Etudes" dedicated to "son ami Franz Liszt" (his friend Franz Liszt). The two sets of Études, Opus 10 and 25, are known collectively as the Chopin Études, although Chopin also contributed three other lesser known études (the Trois Nouvelles Études). History The étude appeared around the same time as the November Uprising in 1831. Chopin was unable to have a strong participating role because of his poor health, and allegedly he poured his emotions on the matter into many pieces that he composed at that time - the Revolutionary Étude standing out as the most notable example. Upon conclusion of Poland's failed revolution against Russia, he cried "All this has caused me much pain. Who could have foreseen it!" Unlike études of prior periods (works designed to emphasize and develop particular aspects of musical technique, cf the much feared but essential School of Velocity, or the Five Finger Exercises by Hanon) the romantic études of composers such as Chopin and Liszt are fully developed musical concert pieces, but still continue to represent a goal of developing stronger technique Technique In the case of The Revolutionary Étude, the technique required in the opening bars is playing an extremely fast, long and loud descending harmonic minor scale mainly in the left hand. The length and the ...

Chopin - Étude Op. 10, No. 1 in C major "Waterfall"Étude Op. 10, No.1 in C major, composed by Frédéric Chopin, is a technical study in reach and arpeggios for the piano. It also focuses on stretching the fingers. Sometimes it is known as the "Waterfall" étude. It was composed in 1829, and first published in 1833, in France, Germany, and England. In a prefatory note to the 1916 Schirmer edition the American music critic James Huneker (18571921) compared the "hypnotic charm" that these "dizzy acclivities and descents exercise for eye as well as ear" to the frightening staircases in Giovanni Battista Piranesi's prints of the Carceri d'invenzione. Structure The work is executed at an Allegro tempo. The time-signature Common time is according to the first French, English, and German editions. Chopin's own manuscript reads Cut time. The right hand gauntlet consists entirely of broad arpeggios in semiquavers (sixteenth notes) on modulating scales. The left hand plays the deep melody in slow, droning octaves. The main difficulty of this piece is playing the etude accurately at its suggested tempo (quarter note equals 176). Given the lack of rests, the challenge lies in playing the entire etude accurately and uninterrupted, which requires extremely swift movement of the right hand and quick changes in octaves for the left hand.

Bartók's Three Etudes for Piano, Op. 18 - Visual ScoreJohn Casten plays Béla Bartók's Three Etudes for piano. No. 1 is a study in disjunct chromaticism; tiring to the hand. No. 2 involves extended arpeggios and a melody in three octaves. No. 3 has rapid figurations and capriciously placed chords. Bartók admitted, "I cannot play the Three Etudes. I haven't played them - ever or anywhere - since 1918."

Fernando Sor: Etude Op 6 No 11Fernando Sor: Etude Op 6 No 11. Study No. 17. Played by me, Samantha Muir. Photos by Josie Elias. Almond blossom time is one of my favourite times of the year and this is one of my favourite Sor pieces. Some of the photos were taken just yesterday! Hope you enjoy! This track is now available to download on iTunes itunes.apple.com for more info about me go to: www.samanthamuir.com www.josieelias.com